Claire Clutterham (Sturt, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on the Aviation Consumer Protection Bill 2026, the Aviation Consumer Protection Levy Bill 2026, the Aviation Consumer Protection Levy (Collection) Bill 2026 and the Aviation Consumer Protection (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2026. I am a lover of aviation. My interest started in 1992, when I was 10, while travelling from Adelaide to Hobart for a swimming carnival. It was my first time on a plane. I'll never forget, and I can sometimes still feel, the raw power of the 737 aircraft as it taxied and took off into the sky. It was an incredible feeling, and from that moment I was completely hooked. Of course, at that time, I didn't realise how critical aviation and aerospace are to this country, to jobs, to productivity, to connectivity, to national security and to health care. All I cared about when I was 10 were the little headphones and tiny packets of nuts that you received as a snack, but decades on I still get a kick every time I go to an airport, board a plane and take off into the sky.

For a short stint, I worked for Boeing Defence Australia, which is a great company that is doing incredible things in the defence industry. In working there, I became familiar, in particular, with the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail; the P-8A Poseidon, which is maintained at Edinburgh Parks in my home state of South Australia; and, of course, the MQ-28 Ghost Bat—an uncrewed, collaborative combat aircraft and the first military aircraft to be designed, manufactured and flown in Australia in more than 50 years—which was manufactured by Boeing using manufacturing innovations in robotic drill and fill and which has helped them create efficiencies by significantly reducing assembly costs.

Prior to being elected to federal parliament, I was also very privileged to be a volunteer director on the board of the wonderful organisation that is the Royal Flying Doctor Service in South Australia and the Northern Territory, where I was chair of the board's aviation safety committee. Through this role I developed an understanding of not only the Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24, beautiful planes, but also the incredible value and contribution pilots and LAMEs make to that organisation, which is actually very complex. When people see an RFDS red-bellied plane in the sky, it is inspiring and reassuring, but it takes an awful lot to get the plane up there. The RFDS is a regional and metropolitan airline combined with the primary preventive and aeromedical health service, combined with a business development organisation, combined with a commercial enterprise, combined with an education and training provider, combined with being a fundraising organisation, because it is in fact a not-for-profit and conducting its business over a geographical reach that covers the entire country, including its most remote corners, contributing to the aviation industry in a very unique and important way.

All of that led me to Parliamentary Friends of Aviation, of which I'm co-chair. This is formed by the Australian Airports Association, Airlines for Australia and New Zealand, the Regional Aviation Association of Australia and the Board of Airline Representatives of Australia. This group supports and promotes aviation policy and priorities. Together, these organisations represent more than 340 airports, 13 domestic airlines and over 40 international airlines, moving more than 100 million passengers each year in Australian airspace. Last financial year, these millions of domestic passengers travelled on aircraft ranging from jetliners to turboprops, landing at major airports and regional airstrips alike. Australia's airports are a vital part of Australia's economic and social fabric, providing connection across Australia and beyond. Given our geography, airports provide the starting point and sometimes the only practical means of travel for many journeys.

In financial year 2025, our global gateways recorded an all-time high of just over 43 million international passengers. This was a 9.6 per cent increase on the previous year, and these numbers underscore the role of the aviation sector as the backbone of global connectivity, enabling movement, opportunity and growth across Australia and out into the world. In December last year in my home state of South Australia, I was really thrilled to be at Adelaide Airport to witness and celebrate the landing of the first United Airlines flight direct to Adelaide from San Francisco, a beautiful Boeing 787 Dreamliner which will operate on a seasonal basis. Even better, the first officer on that inaugural flight was an Adelaide born and bred lady.

I also had the opportunity earlier this year to have a tour of the Qantas Integrated Operations Centre at Mascot in Sydney, which is pretty much the team of people who keep that airline running smoothly. At the IOC, the team, which includes engineers, meteorologists and customer service personnel, monitors hundreds of live flights and collaborates with pilots to find the safest, most efficient routes. The team uses AI to map countless flight paths, rerouting planes and altering schedules to account for severe weather events, the closure of airspace and other unexpected challenges. It also uses AI to optimise fuel usage and minimise delays. Adelaide is home to the Qantas Product Innovation Centre, which is designed to accelerate the delivery of intuitive, world-leading digital experiences for the millions of customers who travel on that particular airline each year. It's currently staffed by a small team, but the centre is projected to be home to more than 420 highly skilled technological roles over the next three years, bringing investment and critical innovation capability to South Australia.

We also see innovation in the aviation industry with Virgin Australia's investment in open AI capabilities, which are changing the way their customers plan and book travel, and, of course, a different type of innovation with their pets-in-cabin initiative.

Aviation is one of Australia's most powerful economic engines, contributing around five per cent of national GDP each year, and, as is demonstrated by the IOC and Product Innovation Centre, it's a major employer for Australian workers. Last financial year, 1.2 million tonnes of air cargo moved through Australian airports, much of it high-value goods requiring safe, reliable transport networks to keep supply chains flowing. While air freight represents less than one per cent of total trade volume, it represents over 20 per cent of Australia's total trade value. By 2030, Australian air passenger movements are expected to grow another 30 per cent from current levels. With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, now is the time for us to prepare for this, because that total is expected to climb even higher.

There's a role for government in this industry. The role for government in aviation is to facilitate an open, market based aviation sector where Australians enjoy access to more services on a fair footing at better prices and with an impeccable air safety and security record—in Australia, ours remains world leading. Facilitating competition and sustainable growth in the commercial market while regulating the sector to ensure appropriate safety, security, workforce, consumer and environmental outcomes is the name of the game for the government in supporting this critical industry. The government's vision for aviation, as expressed in the 2024 aviation white paper, is for an aviation sector that is safe, secure, competitive, productive, sustainable and fair, employing Australian workers on fair pay and secure conditions and providing Australian consumers with affordable, reliable and accessible services now and beyond.

In establishing the aviation consumer protection framework, this suite of bills is a part of realising that vision. The aviation consumer protection framework will comprise a number of important elements: an impartial aviation consumer ombudsperson that will provide a fair, accessible and independent external dispute resolution service, which can assist with resolving individual customer complaints in relation to the supply of airline and airport services, and the aviation consumer protections charter, which will set out the minimum standards that aviation consumers can expect from airlines and airports. This will be enforced by the Aviation Consumer Protection Authority. The charter will create obligations for airlines and airports towards their consumers in the event of a flight disruption, delay or cancellation and create minimum standards with respect to booking information and assistance, communicating with consumers and complaint handling.

Importantly, the Aviation Consumer Protection Bill (2026) will also facilitate the reporting and publication of reasons for flight delays, of reasons for cancellations and reasons for disruption to consumers. This will help to educate consumers and help them understand the factors that lead to delays, disruptions or cancellations, including whether they were within or outside the relevant airline's control. This reporting will also provide learnings for industry, hopefully identifying steps that industry can take to minimise delay, disruption and cancellation factors. It will also be important in understanding whether an entity's response to a delay, disruption or cancellation event was satisfactory, which in turn will help to manage consumer expectations going forward. When the aviation consumer marketplace is fair and transparent, with clear and easily understood obligations for industry and clear expectations for consumers, including clear methods for resolving complaints, the industry can become more productive because less time will be spent repeatedly working out what these minimum performance requirements might be. Industry time can then be devoted to more productive and sustainable work, such as strategies for decarbonisation, which is challenging for the aviation industry just by virtue of the industry's nature. It can also be devoted to strategies for developing models for sustainable aviation fuel, which is being supported by the federal government through the Cleaner Fuels Program, which commits $1.1 billion over the next decade to help bridge the price gap between regular jet fuel and sustainable alternatives, with onshore production hopefully expected to start around 2029.

Sustainable aviation fuel is a priority sector under the federal government's Future Made in Australia agenda—rightly so, because, compared to regular jet fuel, it can significantly reduce carbon emissions. The current cost of sustainable aviation fuel presents challenges, but, if these can be overcome with targeted investment and strategic supply-side and demand-side models, it will mean secure homegrown fuel, which is vital to the aviation industry and to the people of Australia.

I give a particular shout-out to the innovative Australian company HAMR Energy, which, under the leadership of CEO David Stribley, is making a significant investment in a low-carbon liquid-fuel refinery at Gillman, in my home state of South Australia. This investment means more jobs, more opportunity for decarbonisation and more fuel security for the people of Australia. Investment and action to build a domestic low-carbon liquid-fuels industry, which HAMR Energy is pursuing, both reduce reliance on imported fuels and strengthen Australia's fuel security. It will also elevate our role in the global low-carbon liquid-fuel supply chain—across the whole life cycle, from the sourcing of feedstock, which so readily available here in Australia, through to refining, production and end-user distribution—as well as helping to meet global decarbonisation goals in the aviation sector, which is so critical to our country's economy.

It is an exciting time for the aviation industry and for those who work within it, who use it and who benefit from it. I commend the bills to the House.

Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Aviation Consumer Protection Bill 2026. The coalition support stronger consumer protections for Australian aviation passengers; of course we do. However, Australians deserve better from the major domestic airlines under this government. Regional Australians deserve a reliable transport service. That means on time and not cancelled. They deserve clear communication when things go wrong. They deserve fair treatment when delays and cancellations impose real costs on their families, their businesses and—I absolutely underline this—their health care. But this bill does not deliver what Australians were promised. It creates yet more bureaucracy—surprise, surprise—and arguably less accountability. It is unclear how the bill will reduce delays and cancellations, especially for regional Australians; for many of them, the protections in this bill actually won't apply. We are required to trust government that they will apply, but, after the shock recent $77 billion tax grab in the budget, how many Australians are having trust issues with the Albanese Labor government?

For many regional Australians, aviation is not a luxury; it is an essential service. Regional communities rely on aviation for health care, education, business, family connections and economic opportunity. That is certainly true in Mildura, my hometown and the largest and most remote city in my electorate of Mallee. Mildura has Victoria's largest regional airport, which serves a large, productive and geographically isolated regional city and the wider Sunraysia and Mallee regions. Yet too often Mildura feels invisible to the rest of the state and the nation—invisible to airlines, invisible to bureaucrats and certainly invisible to the Labor government that talks about fairness and equity all too often, while regional communities are left with fewer services, higher fares and poorer reliability.

Mildura residents have expressed frustration at a lack of alternative transport options. They've noted that there is no train alternative and that the bus trip is long, difficult and unreliable, with the bus to Adelaide taking more than 11 hours and, can you believe, 14 hours 15 minutes from Mildura to Melbourne. Honestly, who would put themselves through that? Can you imagine that, to see your doctor, you need to take more than a day on a very uncomfortable bus? Mildura residents noted return airfares to Melbourne can cost more than $1,300.

In a recent Productivity Commission consultation, Mildura people spoke of the cost of needing to factor in cancellations, including extra accommodation and time away from home. Most confronting of all, they spoke about medical travel. I am the local member but also the shadow minister for regional health, so this is why I'm doubly distressed about the inequities Mildura residents face—in fact, the entire Sunraysia region, including across the river in New South Wales. The commission reported that travel to Melbourne for medical reasons is a major issue, particularly for Mildura residents reliant on the age pension. Patients may need to pay upfront and then wait up to eight weeks for reimbursement through the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme, or VPTAS. People spoke of having to choose between accessing cancer treatment and paying rent—paying rent!

Further to this Productivity Commission consultation, the Victorian government has reduced the VPTAS, imposing strict new criteria that make it even harder for Sunraysia residents to catch a plane from Mildura to Melbourne. The Victorian government has basically stated that you need to be on a ventilator before you can jump on a Qantas or a Rex plane from Mildura to Melbourne in order to access specialist treatment! Then you've got the alternative problem, where we have specialists who FIFO in and out of Mildura—thank you to the Victorian government's absolutely hopeless management of health—and they get stuck in Melbourne, like I frequently get stuck in Melbourne because there's fog in Mildura.

It happened again on Thursday. I got on a plane from Canberra at 6 am, a nice, bright, early start after the end of the parliamentary week, and ended up in Melbourne at about 7.30, with the next plane at eight o'clock to Mildura. This has happened twice in a few weeks—get on the plane, head up to Mildura, an hour and a half in the air, then begin doing the holding pattern and the holding pattern and the holding pattern till they're going to run out of fuel. So they've got an obligation, of course, to take us back to Melbourne, and that's what happened. On Thursday, when that happened, eventually we got a second plane. That was great. We went out to the runway—disaster light on, something wrong with the engine, plane's broken, back to the terminal. Most of us here have experienced this, I'm sure. I would hope that I'm not just doing this alone. That happened again. It took me 13 hours to get home on Thursday.

You put that into the context of people who are having healthcare issues, who have to go down to specialists—or of the specialists going to Mildura. As I said, on the first flight, we had the plane full, with many specialists on board to see people in Mildura who are dealing with serious chronic health issues—urgent health issues. Those specialists got back off the plane at about 11 am in Melbourne and thought, 'There's no point trying to get on another plane to go up to Mildura.' So what happens to the people in Mildura? They miss out again, again and again and again. I tell you what, I am sick and tired of it.

Representing the people of the Sunraysia region—in fact, the whole of my electorate, whether it's Swan Hill, Horsham, Maryborough or all the towns in between—for them not to be able to get health care is the most unjust thing that I know occurs in this nation, and it has got a whole bunch worse under this government. When we're talking about aviation and having reliable aviation, I'll tell you what—this government needs to hold these airlines to account to deliver better services to the regions. As I said, Mildura is the most remote large regional city in Victoria. It's six hours from Melbourne. The hospital needs a lot of help. I'm not going to go there right now. What I am going to say is how important our aviation is and how incredibly supportive I am of the Mildura airport, which does an astonishing job in having flights in and out of Mildura all day—when they can land.

Under the coalition, we committed $2 million for an ILS, an instrument landing system. That was back in 2019. It eventually got finished. It gives planes the ability to land, theoretically, in fog—but no. We have rules in Australia—they don't apply in other countries around the world, mind you; it might be something for CASA to rethink—that they can't land in fog, even though we have an instrument landing system that was $4 million to place and operationalise in Mildura. That was an amazing investment by the coalition government. What has Labor done? Let me come back to you on that. I can tell you: absolutely nothing. It is shameful that our regions are being left behind.

I want to give a shout-out to both Rex and Qantas. They have a very difficult job to do; I get that. QantasLink—we're grateful for the services. We're grateful for Rex. They have gone through a very difficult time. There are all kinds of reasons behind that. It is up to this government to ensure that our aviation sector works fairly and equally for everyone. For people who travel from Mildura to Melbourne, a return airfare can cost $1,300. I talked about age pensioners before. They can't afford that—newsflash to the Victorian government. There's no reimbursement. If you drive in a car from Mildura to Melbourne on our horrible roads, you get 21c per kilometre for your troubles. If you're a public servant, you get 88c. Tell me what's fair about that. There is nothing fair about it. People in the regions are sick to death of being treated as second-class citizens.

I will continue to fight for my community, for a fair go. Every regional MP in this place, including those opposite, has a responsibility to do exactly the same. We should not be accepting second-best because we live in the regions. I might remind the Prime Minister that 30 per cent of Australians live in the regions. They do a hard day's work out in the fields and out providing services, whether they're healthcare services, aged-care services or every other small business trying to make a go of it. It is tough out there, I can assure you. This government should be doing more to support them.

Madonna Jarrett (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

One of my favourite movies is Love Actually. The opening scene shows people arriving at airports. They're hugging and smiling, and there's lots of happiness to go around. But, sadly, as we all know, that's not always the case. There can be frustration. There can be tears if you miss that 80th birthday party because you have a late flight or if you arrived only with the bag you carried on board. That's why I rise to speak in support of the Aviation Consumer Protection Bill package. We know that air passengers in Brisbane and across Australia deserve better.

I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that almost everyone in this chamber has been on a plane. Whether it's a holiday, a business trip or a family emergency, Australians are flying. In fact, in 2024-25, 60 million passengers flew within Australia and 43 million passengers flew in and out of Australia. That's a lot of people. Amongst them are people, as I'm sure we all know, who have landed without their luggage. Sometimes it's returned late; sometimes it's not returned at all. They've had their flight cancelled or their flight delayed. Aviation clearly connects Brisbane to Australia and to the rest of the world. It's the bridge that connects Brisbane to the regions. It's critical to our social connection. It's critical to our economic growth and development. It sends Queensland produce and exports to other parts of the world and other parts of our great country.

We live in a vast continent, and we often have to travel long distances to see family and friends. I think Australians probably rely on aviation a little more than many other people around the globe. The recent events in the Middle East have shown how Australian travellers in times of global crisis can experience disruption and uncertainty, and these periods also show us how important it is to protect Australians when they're flying. I've heard many stories of young people and families in Brisbane who have had flights cancelled or delayed or bags mishandled feeling helpless to assert their rights. In fact, many people don't even know their rights, and they don't know where to turn. It's a common story that consumers in these situations often have to spend hours on the phone resolving complaints and cancellations, and they do it themselves. It's very frustrating. That's due to the current voluntary industry arrangements.

Earlier this year at Easter time, we saw national disruptions, and there were reports of passengers experiencing long delays, struggling to reach customer support and waiting long lines in airports. Simple trips like these to connect with loved ones and friends across Australia really should not result in a major ordeal for the passengers. That's why this legislation is so important. Knowledge of consumer rights is actually quite low. Seventy-nine per cent of Australians report they know either nothing or just a little bit about their consumer rights when travelling by air.

We also know that many disabled Australians encounter problems with wheelchair handling and delays, which is simply unacceptable. The current system of airlines policing themselves just hasn't worked. People with disabilities, medical conditions or injuries experience barriers, and they are less satisfied with their air travel. A recent study showed that around a quarter of travellers surveyed identified as having a disability or a medical condition or injury. Two out of five Australians with a disability, medical condition or injury did not know how to access services available to them. That's almost 40 per cent. We know there is a gap between Australian passenger rights and those in other developed countries, and it really doesn't make sense that Australians would have weaker consumer legal rights on the same flight under EU or Canadian law.

In our first term, the Albanese Labor government released the Aviation white paper: Toward 2050, passed new laws to boost competition at Sydney airport, released a draft passenger charter of rights and reinstated ACCC monitoring of airlines that the LNP had planned to end. The ACCC monitoring of airlines as part of the aviation white paper reforms has served an important function. We see that global uncertainty in the aviation industry may lead to unreasonable and excessive price increases for Australian travellers. Whether during COVID or now with the recent global conflicts, in periods of heightened instability, unreasonable price rises for consumers need to be monitored. This scrutiny of airline conduct is important to identify and respond to any potential anti-competitive behaviour and to protect consumers.

Under the proposed laws, the Albanese government is undertaking historic reforms to the aviation sector. This legislation is designed to better protect Australian passengers so that they are treated fairly by the major airlines and airports, which are big corporations. This bill package will hold the aviation industry to account to deliver better outcomes for consumers and will improve consumer protections in the aviation sector. We are delivering Australian-first aviation consumer protections that will clarify airline obligations and the minimum level of assistance required when a scheduled flight is disrupted. This legislation will establish an independent Aviation Consumer Ombudsperson to assist with resolving independent consumer complaints and provide a fair and independent external dispute resolution process. It allows for the creation of the Aviation Consumer Protections Charter, which will set the minimum standards and will provide systemic monitoring, compliance and enforcement of those standards by the Aviation Consumer Protection Authority.

It will also enable the authorisation of an external dispute resolution scheme to provide aviation-specific complaint-handling services and, importantly, establish the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman as a function within the department. This will ensure that the ANO, as it's referred to, is independent of Airservices Australia and the Department of Defence. The ANO will review the management of aircraft noise complaints by Airservices Australia and the Department of Defence. The new consumer protection framework will reshape the way consumers interact with the industry, providing the protections they need when things go wrong, but it will still support an affordable and competitive aviation sector, which is really important. This framework will set consumer standards for services from airlines and assist customers in resolving complaints, including those related to delays, cancellation and baggage.

In developing these reforms, the government has undertaken extensive consultation with the aviation industry, with consumer groups and with the public. This legislation strikes the right balance between providing meaningful protection for passengers while maintaining a competitive and sustainable aviation sector. These reforms will reshape the way consumers interact with the aviation industry, providing better booking information and clarity with the protections they need when things go wrong while supporting a sustainable and competitive industry.

The charter will create obligations for airlines and airports towards consumers in the event of a flight disruption, delay or cancellation. It will also contain minimum standards in relation to booking information, assistance and communicating with consumers about complaints handling. Opaqueness can often be a very large source of frustration. The charter provides a level of flexibility for aspects of the framework to be updated as the aviation consumer protection framework evolves and as the needs of our community evolve. Providing flexibility in this way will ensure that the framework can evolve and adapt in response to changes across the industry and across our community while still maintaining a focus on governance and continuing to have appropriate minimum standards for consumer protection.

To support greater transparency and accountability, the Aviation Consumer Protection Bill will facilitate the reporting and publication of reasons for flight delays, flight cancellations and disruptions. It'll be to the department and consumers respectively. This will assist the regulator and the ombudsperson to determine whether or not a disruption, delay or cancellation was within or outside the relevant entity's control. Both the ombudsperson and the regulator will also have an advocacy role ensuring consumer concerns are heard and actioned by conducting inquiries, advising government and promoting best practices. The ombudsperson and the regulator will provide consumer focused education and best practice advice to consumers, to the industry and to government on complaints handling.

This package of bills establishes the Aviation Consumer Protection Authority. It's a regulatory function that will sit in the department to administer and enforce the charter. The ACPA, as it's called, is necessary to keep airlines and airports accountable for the charter requirements. That's something that the stakeholders told the government they wanted the framework to do. The ombudsperson scheme will work to resolve eligible complaints. The regulator will focus on investigating and responding to systemic and serious breaches of the charter.

As I mentioned earlier, this package also establishes the aviation consumer ombudsman scheme. It's an impartial external dispute resolution body to help resolve eligible complaints by aviation consumers who have been unable to resolve their dispute with the airline or the airport directly. It will ensure that the complaint resolution process is impartial, procedurally fair and transparent and that a solution is provided in an efficient and effective manner. The current system of self-regulation has not delivered effective complaint resolution services, which is why the government is introducing this framework. I've heard this quite regularly in my community. In addition to its complaint-handling function, the ACO would also provide education and guidance and promote some best practices. This could include releasing reports and other factual materials that can contribute to the development of our regulatory framework and policies. They can refer conduct to other bodies as appropriate.

As a candidate, I heard often how aircraft noise was an issue for some people living in Brisbane. They were frustrated by the process. They felt no-one was listening to them. This had been an ongoing issue for years, including under those opposite. As a candidate, I listened and I joined them in calling for an independent ombudsman to handle the noise complaints. It really is hard for a local community—mums, dads, small-shop owners, people who are busy—to stand up against big airline companies, to stand up against big airports and to feel that they will be listened to, especially when the reviewer is one of the entities in question.

This government responded after extensive consultation. The legislation establishes the Aircraft Noise Ombudsperson to conduct investigative reviews into how Airservices Australia and the Department of Defence handle aircraft noise complaints, the community consultation processes regarding changes affecting aircraft noise and how aircraft noise information is presented and distributed. The ANO will be established in the department and be independent of Airservices Australia and independent of the Department of Defence. This is consistent with the commitment made in the Aviation white paper to separate the function from the entities it reviews. The ANO may also publish independent reports and make recommendations to the government for policy or regulatory change.

The events over the last few months have shown how times of global crisis can impact us domestically. The conflict in the Middle East has led to flight and fuel disruptions and broader uncertainty for travellers here and abroad. We've seen passengers who are unsure of what to do next, what to do when things go wrong and what resources are available to them if their flights are in fact cancelled or delayed. Living on this vast continent, we often have to travel long distances to see families and friends. Our goods have to travel long distances to get to where they need to be. This can be the case whether within Australia or somewhere else around the world.

Australian travellers should have the same consumer protections as travellers in other developed countries. That's why the Albanese government is delivering on our commitment to hold the aviation industry accountable for delivering better outcomes for consumers. This bill will improve outcomes for consumers and ensure the aviation sector is accountable for the services they offer. This bill is focused on aviation consumers. However, it will also support a competitive and sustainable aviation sector that's critical to our economic growth and development.

As we look ahead, we have the Brisbane 2032 Olympics on the horizon. We're expecting millions more to arrive in our skies from overseas or to travel within the country. Our aviation sector, our airlines and our airports need to be world class, and they need to provide world class services. This will help support that. This package of bills will help ensure we see more of those smiling faces and the happiness of people arriving at airports around the country, like what we see in the closing scene of Love Actually. I commend these bills to the House.

Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm speaking today to the Aviation Consumer Protection Bill 2026, Aviation Consumer Protection Levy Bill 2026 and Aviation Consumer Protection Levy (Collection) Bill 2026. The Greens will be supporting these bills as a small step in the right direction. However, there are lots of missed opportunities here.

The central concern around this bill is that the actual consumer protections will be contained in regulation—that is, the charter, which was made public only a few days ago, well after it was introduced. However, the department has advised that it will not include monetary compensation for delayed flights and cancellations. This is going to leave Australian consumers with significantly less protection than those in the EU and in other jurisdictions. The government's reasoning for this is that the concentrated aviation market in Australia would not be able to absorb the extra costs associated with compensation. Frankly, I just don't buy this. Qantas made almost $1.5 billion in profit in the first half of this financial year. Virgin also made a tidy half a billion in the same period. They can afford to compensate for delays that are within their control.

It's true that the EU scheme is quite generous, starting at 250 euros for a three-hour delay. In many cases that's going to be significantly more than the cost of the flight itself. But if there's real concern about the cost of compensation being passed on or causing operational issues, it doesn't have to be as much as that of the EU scheme. You could meet somewhere in the middle. That's why I just don't buy the government's line. They haven't even tried to make this work. Additionally, our aviation market is the way it is because of government policy, including the privatisation of Qantas in the 1990s. The government has themselves to blame for this.

Ultimately, people's time is valuable. Most Australians don't have enough of it, and our Aviation Consumer Protection Framework should reflect that. That is not unreasonable. Instead, the government has simply taken the airlines' word for it. They're prioritising the profits of Qantas and Virgin over providing real consumer protections for Australians just trying to get where they need to go.

As for regional airlines, I'm obviously sympathetic to not wanting to impose extra costs on regional airlines providing essential services—regional airlines that are already struggling to stay afloat and compete against the majors. But this bill already exempts regional airports. There's no reason you couldn't exempt regional airlines as needed.

On a slightly more positive note, this bill does move the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman—that's the ANO—from the purview of Airservices Australia to the department, which is a small step towards more independence, though, in my view, it's not independent enough. Previously, the ANO was essentially overseeing the work of Airservices Australia, its own boss. That doesn't make a lot of sense. It's still overseeing the work of the department under this new arrangement; it's just not quite as direct. The real independence of the ANO is important, because, all over Australia, aircraft noise is a real issue that people are experiencing, and they're by and large being ignored by the authorities around this really serious problem.

Just a few weeks ago, the Brisbane Airport draft master plan was approved by the minister. This is a plan that will see a massive increase in air traffic over Brisbane and, therefore, a massive increase in noise. But where were the noise projections? They weren't even there. No, we only have a noise mapping for current volumes of traffic, but the minister approved it anyway. You can't even do noisy construction work at night. You can't have a huge, noisy party in residential areas at 2 am without the police knocking on your door, and you can't mow your lawn at night, but what about flying an A380 a couple of thousand feet above your home? No worries. The minister has signed off on those overnight flights that disrupt people's sleep continuing with no restrictions. In fact, it is international flights—those that use the larger, noisier planes—that are getting the biggest increase under the master plan. That's going to happen, and, if the government seems to have no desire to curb these flights that consistently disrupt people's sleep, then we need a truly independent ANO—one that isn't worried about the department looking over their shoulder or making the government look bad.

With all of those concerns, I move:

That all words after "the" (first occurring) be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

(b) the movement of the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman from Airservices Australia to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts does not make the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman truly independent; and

(c) ministerial approval of the Brisbane Airport 2026 Master Plan was given, despite not containing any forward noise forecasting and leaving Brisbane residents in the dark about the effects of airport growth on noise; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) guarantee real consumer protections, including in the form of financial compensation for flight delays and cancellations;

(b) make the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman truly independent; and

(c) take meaningful steps to address aircraft noise in Brisbane, including considering a night curfew".

Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, Independent) | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the amendment and reserve my right to speak.

Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I welcome this bill, and I welcome it because it's a long time coming. I am a member of parliament who's always represented the western suburbs in Adelaide, where the airport has its home six kilometres from the CBD of Adelaide. Previously, it was in my electorate. Since the boundaries changed, it's right on the boundary. My office is constantly inundated by anything to do with aviation complaints, airport noise, aircraft noise or the Adelaide Airport curfew—and rightly so. There are not many airports around the world that have the luxury of being six kilometres from the CBD, and that gives Adelaide Airport a uniqueness, which is a benefit. At the same time, they need to—and they do—work very closely with the community in and around the suburbs near the Adelaide Airport where people have aircraft flying over their houses continuously. I'm not saying that it's the only place in Australia where that happens. There are other places as well; I know that people in the Prime Minister's electorate and in other electorates around the country face the same issues.

As someone who has fought very hard for consumer protections, aircraft noise abatement and a curfew, this bill is very pleasing to me. When you look at the history of the privatisation of government agencies and services in Australia—whether it be the Commonwealth Bank, the taxation department, telecommunications or a whole range of others—there was an independent body to take complaints and make sure that consumers had a fair hearing and a fair go; previously, those complaints had been investigated by the department, which was government run. All these airports have now been privatised, especially the major airports in capital cities, so it's important to have an independent body to look into complaints and ensure that people's concerns are heard independently, with no bias, and that outcomes assist consumers, people affected by airports and airports to get a hearing.

Australia's history with aircraft is long. We were one of the first nations to take up aircraft flying. That's because of our vast geography; when you look at Australia, flying from one end to the other—from one shoreline to another—can take up to five hours. We're reliant on aircraft. We're reliant on aeroplane travel. It's very important that we have a robust industry, an industry that thrives, and that, at the same time, people using the industry are protected. It is part of our essential services. No longer are we in the days when you'd get on an aeroplane every so often just to go for a holiday. We're reliant on it for our work, meetings and a whole range of things. You don't have to look far; just look at this place here. Prior to the sixties, the majority of members that travelled to parliament for the sessions would come here and stay for three months. They'd travel by train, stay in Canberra for three months and then go back to their electorates, sometimes after three to six months of being here in Canberra.

Aircraft, airports and the aviation industry have changed the way that we commute, how we communicate, how we work and how we do business in Australia. Therefore, it is an essential service, a service that touches all of us. Many times, and for too long, passengers have been left navigating delays, cancellations and disruptions without clear answers, proper support or legislation in place so that they have a real understanding of their rights. When things go wrong—and occasionally they do go wrong; we see this in the airline industry regularly—it is ordinary Australians who are left carrying the burden. You can imagine going to a relative's wedding—a brother's wedding, a sister's wedding, a child's wedding—and being told at the gates that your flight has been cancelled without any reason and without prior knowledge of it being cancelled.

Certainly, there are times when safety is of the utmost importance, and we all understand that. But, far too often, we get cancellations and we never find out why those cancellations and delays have taken place. In any other industry, when you're paying upfront for a particular product, you expect to receive that product the way it was advertised and packaged for you and to be provided with the services that you've paid for. I think the airline industries are one of the last bastions where this doesn't take place. You can book your airfares. You can book your travel months before. You can turn up at a particular airport and be told that the flight's been cancelled or that there is a long delay, which then brings on a chain reaction for your other commitments. That could be business, or it could be a family reunion, a wedding or other important moments. Therefore, this bill will go a long way in consumer protection and towards ensuring that there are responsibilities on the aviation industry and airports to act in a particular way.

Apart from being a huge geographic country, we are also a very multicultural country. Regardless of what others say occasionally from time to time, we know that Australia is very multicultural. Therefore, we have people who have come from all over the world and are reliant on aircraft to take them overseas every so often not for a holiday or for pleasure but to reconnect with family, for funerals and for a whole range of other things. That makes it even more important. We've got this massive geographic space that we have to cover. As well, we have a lot of international travel that is done—and not just for the sake of going on vacation but for many other things that are very important to people. Therefore, ensuring that we have a good, reliable industry is very important. As I said, it's about families trying to get home, it's about workers travelling for their livelihoods, and it's about people attending weddings, funerals and life-defining moments. When that journey is disrupted, that impact is not just logistical; it is emotional and financial, and it can be deeply distressing.

Too often we see Australians are left in the dark, unsure of what they're entitled to, unsure of where to turn and unsure whether the system is working for them at all. That's why this bill before the House is so important. It represents the most significant reform to aviation consumer protection in Australia's history. It moves us beyond a system that has too often relied on industry-managed complaints processes—I spoke a bit about those earlier—which have not always delivered the outcomes Australians expect or deserve. Instead, this bill introduces a stronger and more transparent framework, one that holds airlines and airports to account and puts consumers at the centre of the system. At the heart of this reform is the creation of the Aviation Consumer Protections Charter, a charter that will set clear, enforceable minimum standards for how passengers are to be treated by airlines, by airports and across accessibility services. This is about establishing a baseline of fairness. It is a baseline that will ensure Australians know what they are entitled to and what they can expect when they travel.

But standards alone are not enough. They must be backed by enforcement. That's why the establishment of the Aviation Consumer Protection Authority is so critical. It will be an authority that will not simply observe but monitor, enforce and ensure compliance across the system, because, without accountability, standards mean very, very little.

Just as important, the bill recognises that, when disputes arise, Australians deserve an independent voice. That's why it is establishing the external dispute resolution scheme, an aviation consumer ombudsman. It's certainly something that will give people confidence that they'll be heard independently by someone who is not on a particular side and will come up with the best outcome possible. It's a body that is independent, accessible and focused on providing fair, aviation-specific complaint handling. You will not be left to navigate systems on your own, nor will you be left to negotiate with the industry on a very, very unequal footing, but you will be given a clear pathway to have your concerns heard and resolved.

These reforms also acknowledge the broader impact aviation has on communities. Through the establishment of an aircraft noise ombudsman, there will be clearer, more independent oversight of noise complaints, ensuring communities affected by aviation operations are no longer left without a voice. Aviation does not exist in isolation. It impacts communities, neighbourhoods and everyday life.

When you look at some of the suburbs in my electorate—Mile End, Richmond, Cowandilla, Thebarton—it's just incredible. You could jump on the roof of your house and tickle the belly of the aeroplane as it's flying over! That's how low they fly. And that's fine for me—having lived there all my life, I'm used to it—but we need some measures in place to protect those residents.

There are not many airports that are smack bang in the middle of the metropolitan area, six kilometres from the CBD, like Adelaide, and that offers a lot of positives for business, for transport, for exports and for imports. It's a great thing, but at the same time Adelaide Airport Limited in South Australia, who do a great job, balance it up really well with the residents and community groups in the neighbourhood. It's wonderful for the community around Adelaide Airport that it was one of the first airports in Australia that introduced the Adelaide Airport Consultative Group, which meets every quarter with interest from airlines, transport departments, and anyone and anything to do with the airport—the local government, community groups and neighbourhood groups. We meet every quarter, we nut the issues out and nine out of 10 times we have a great outcome. In fact, the system works so well at Adelaide Airport that it has been rolled around Australia wherever there are airports close to metropolitan areas.

I am sad to say, though, that our Adelaide curfew dispensation report, which comes in regularly every quarter from the department, with members of the transport department being present at these meetings and giving us a report, have taken a decision to no longer attend. We're hoping that we can get them to send us the reports, because it's very important for all of us in that area to know exactly why dispensations are being given for the Adelaide Airport curfew and why decisions are being made. There are the mechanisms in place to give a dispensation for an aircraft coming in after 11pm in Adelaide on emergency matters, rightly so, and no-one argues that. No-one argues that one little bit, but what we do argue as a community is if one of the airlines just decides for whatever reason to bring in a aircraft after 11 o'clock because it just makes their life simple. That's something that we will not agree to and nor will the residents in and around Adelaide Airport.

We have a great relationship with our Adelaide Airport. In fact, they are a beacon around the country where they work with the community to have issues solved. This bill will go even further to ensuring that that relationship is strengthened around the country, just as it is in Adelaide.

These reforms don't stand alone. They build on a clear, consistent record of action to reshape Australia's aviation sector to ensure that there's confidence for passengers, and to ensure that we as consumers know exactly what we're paying for and what we're entitled to. The government has already delivered the most significant reforms to aviation in more than a decade. These are reforms that are designed and delivered with one clear purpose, and that one clear purpose is to ensure that the system works for the people who rely on it. For too long, the balance hasn't quite been right. You see it regularly—all of us in this place travel, and we go to airports to come to this place from our electorates. Far too often, there is a delay. I understand the emergency stuff, I get the aircrafts perhaps not being fit—that that's 100 per cent fine. But when they've just been changed for whatever reason, I think that should be investigated, because you're paying for a product, and you're paying to get to a certain place at a particular time. We understand that there could be delays, but sometimes it's just unacceptable.

We know all this has been through the first term of this government. The important steps for the foundation of this bill were taken through the white paper, which I followed very carefully. That set out a long-term vision for stronger, more competitive and more accountable aviation sector. We also passed new laws to boost the competition at Sydney Airport, for example. We recognise that competition drives better outcomes for consumers. We released a draft passenger charter of rights, making it clear what Australians should expect—

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

The debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 43. The debate may be resumed at a later hour. The member will have leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed if he requires.